Sliding element with keeper device suspended from and guided on a roller rail by support rollers

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a sliding element, which is suspended and guided on a running track by means of roller carriers or gliding elements, using running track retainers that are connected to a substructure and engage with the underside of the running track. The invention also relates to an anti-removal device, which comprises a locking elements that can be pressed elastically against the running track and that yields when crossed by a running track retainer.

The invention pertains to a sliding element suspended from and guided onthe top of a roller rail by support rollers or glide elements, where theroller rail is connected to a substructure by roller rail brackets,which grip the roller rail from underneath, and where a keeper devicelocated underneath the roller rail is attached to the sliding element orto components attached to the sliding element.

In the usual case, a gap is present between the sliding element and thebottom of the roller rail; this gap is intended to make it possible tohang the sliding element, including its support rollers, as a singleunit from the roller rail. During normal use of the sliding element,this gap can allow the sliding element to jump unintentionally off therail. To prevent this, keeper devices are provided on the slidingelements or on parts attached to them. The outer contour of the keeperdevice which faces the roller rail is only a short distance away fromthe outer periphery of the roller rail, which means that the slidingelement cannot be disengaged from the rail until after the keeperdevices have been removed. If, however, the roller rail brackets thatsupport the roller rail are of the type which grip the rail fromunderneath, difficulties can occur when keeper devices of this typetravel over them.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,345 discloses a sliding element which is suspendedfrom and guided on a guide rail by straps extending between the slidingelement and the support rollers. The guide rail is supported in aU-shaped support profile, which is open at the top, and, like thesupport profile, is made up of several subsections. The subsections ofthe support profile are supported, at the points where they butt upagainst each other, by angle-shaped brackets, the horizontal shanks ofwhich grip the support profile from underneath. No measures are taken toprevent the sliding element from jumping off the rail unintentionally.

In known sliding elements suspended by straps, keeper devices areprovided, which are rigidly connected to the straps. Part of the outercontour of each keeper device wraps around or extends under the outercontour of the roller rail with a certain amount of play. This play isnecessary to allow the keeper device to travel over the roller railbracket, but it must also allow the device to fulfill its “keeping”function at the same time

The task of the invention is to propose a solution by means of which thekeeper device extends under the roller rail and under the roller railbracket with very little play—possibly without any play at all—but alsoin such a way that the sliding element is prevented from jumping off therail as it travels along the rail and as it travels over a bracket.

The invention accomplishes the task indicated above by means of thefeatures of Claim 1.

According to this claim, the keeper device has a locking element, whichcan rest elastically against the roller rail but which can also give waywhen it travels over a roller rail bracket. The solution according tothe invention ensures that the locking element always rests against theroller rail or travels over the rail with such a small amount of playthat it is impossible for the sliding element to jump off the rail. Atthe same time, because the locking element rests elastically against theroller rail, the locking element can give way as it travels over theroller rail bracket while still fulfilling its keeping function.

According to an especially advantageous embodiment of the invention, thekeeper device has a locking element, which:

projects from the bracket of the keeper device toward the roller rail;

rests elastically against the roller rail; and

prevents the sliding element from jumping out of position, and which,when it travels over a roller rail bracket,

is pushed down into the bracket of the keeper device against the elasticforce, thus releasing the locking action of the locking element.According to the above features, the locking element, which issupported, for example, in a pocket-like receptacle in the bracket ofthe keeper device, is supported in the bracket in such a way that thelocking element is prevented from being pushed down into the bracket aslong as the locking element is sliding along the roller rail, so thatthe keeping function remains ensured. When it travels over one of theroller rail brackets extending under the roller rail, however, thelocking element is pushed far enough down into the bracket of the keeperdevice against the force of a spring that the keeper device can passunderneath the part of the roller rail bracket which extends under theroller rail without any loss of the keeping function. The keeper devicecan be in continuous contact with the roller rail and the roller railbrackets.

Additional features of the invention are characterized by the additionalfeatures of the subclaims.

The locking element is advantageously supported in a pocket in thebracket of the keeper device so that it extends at a right angle to thetravel direction of the sliding element and can also pivot around anaxis extending in the travel direction of the sliding element, where thepivoting path of the locking element is limited in both directions bycontact surfaces on the locking element.

The pivoting path of the locking element, as it travels over the rollerrail in the position in which it prevents the sliding element fromjumping out of position, is limited by a locking lobe on the lockingelement, which is located on the side of the roller rail facing thesubstructure, outside the longitudinal center axis of the roller railand adjacent to the outer periphery of the roller rail. The pivotingpath of the locking element in the opposite direction which occurs whenthe keeper device travels over a roller rail bracket, however, islimited by the contact of the locking lobe of the locking element withthe roller rail bracket, it being ensured that the pivoting path stillhas a sufficient amount of play.

By means of the measures indicated above, a keeper device for a slidingelement of the general type described above is created which has anelastically displaceable locking element, which is prevented from beingpushed down into the bracket of the keeper device as long as the deviceis traveling over the roller rail, but which can be pushed down when ittravels over a roller rail bracket.

The locking element is elastically supported in the bracket of thekeeper device preferably by providing bores in both the bracket of thekeeper device and the locking element, these bores being aligned witheach other so that the locking element can be rotatably supported on apin passing through the bores.

So that the locking element can travel over the roller rail bracketwithout jerking and without causing noise, lead-in bevels are providedon the surface of the locking element facing the roller rail and/or theroller rail bracket. These bevels also initiate simultaneously thepivoting movement of the locking element with respect to the bracket.

The method used to attach the keeper device to the strap carrying thesliding element is basically arbitrary; an advantageous way of doingthis, however, is to provide the device with a pin, which can be pluggedinto the strap. It would also be possible to use a dovetail joint, etc.

The invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of apossible exemplary embodiment:

FIG. 1 shows a partial schematic diagram of a glass wall;

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged diagram of a vertical cross section through theglass wall of FIG. 1 as the wall travels along the roller rail;

FIG. 3 shows a view similar to FIG. 2, except that here the wall istraveling over a roller rail bracket;

FIG. 4 shows a partial side view of the same area as that in FIG. 2except that the substructure has been omitted;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the locking element;

FIG. 6 shows a view of the locking element from the perspective of thesubstructure;

FIG. 7 shows a top view of the locking element of FIG. 6; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 show two ways in which the keeper device can be attachedto a strap.

FIG. 1 shows a glass wall 1, which, in this exemplary embodiment,consists of two sliding elements 2, guided on a roller rail 5. Thesliding elements can be moved back and forth in the direction of thearrow L. The sliding elements 2 are suspended from and guided on the top6 of the roller rail 5 by straps 3 and support rollers 4. The rollerrail 5 is attached by roller rail brackets 7 to a substructure (10) (SeeFIGS. 2 and 3).

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the straps 3 are connected by pointretainers 8 to the sliding element. In the exemplary embodiment, a cover9, resting on the strap 3, is provided between the strap 3 and thesliding element 2. A keeper device 11 is connected to the strap 3, i.e.,to the cover 9, by a screw connection 29. The device has a part called abracket 13, the top of which (not shown) is hollow like a box, so that alocking element 12 can be supported in this box-like opening. Thelocking element 12 is pretensioned in the direction of the arrow B by aspring 5, shown in FIG. 5, and when the element is traveling over theroller rail 5, it assumes the position illustrated in FIG. 2. Thelocking lobe 20 of the locking element 12 adjacent to or resting againstthe outer periphery 22 of the roller rail 5 is located a certaindistance, designated “x”, away from the center longitudinal axis 21 ofthe roller rail 5 and prevents the sliding element 2 from jumping offthe rail. The path around which the locking element 12 can pivot in thisone direction, designated by the arrow B, has reached a limit in thisposition. The locking element 12 thus cannot pivot any further aroundits axis 17.

When the locking element 12 travels over the roller rail bracket 7, itgives way by pivoting around its axis 17 in the direction of the arrow Cin a manner to be explained below. As a result, it can pass underneaththe part of the roller rail bracket 7 which extends under the rollerrail 5; the locking lobe 20 now rests against the part of the rollerrail bracket 7 which supports the rail from underneath. The pivotingpath in the direction of the arrow C is calculated so that the lockingelement 12 can be pushed down into the pocket (not shown) in the bracket13 sufficiently.

FIGS. 4-7 show how lead-in bevels 26 are provided on the surface 25 ofthe locking element 12 facing the roller rail 5 and the roller railbracket 7; these bevels make it easier for the locking element 12 topivot from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 3and also make it possible for the element to travel over the roller railbracket 7 without jerking.

The side view of the locking element 12 according to FIG. 5 shows thearrangement of a spring 14, the shank 15 of which is supported on thebottom of the pocket (not shown) of the bracket 13, whereas the shank 16is supported on the locking element. The continuous bore 24 in thelocking element 12 aligns with corresponding bores 23 in the bracket 13,so that a pin (not shown) can be inserted through the bores 23 and 24.FIG. 5 also shows that the locking element 12 has contact surfaces 18,19. The contact surface 19 works together with a contact surface (notshown) on the pocket (not shown) in the bracket 13 to limit the distanceover which the element can travel when it is assuming the position shownin FIG. 2, whereas the contact surface 18 limits the distance over whichthe element can pivot when it is assuming the position shown in FIG. 3.

The diagram in FIG. 6 shows the locking element from the perspective ofthe substructure (in the direction of the arrow A); the diagram in FIG.7 shows a top view of the locking element shown in FIG. 6.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 8, the bracket 13 of thekeeper device 11 has a pin 27, which can be inserted into an appropriateopening in the strap 3. In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 9,the bracket is attached to the strap by means of a dovetail joint 28.

List of Reference Numbers

1 glass wall

2 sliding element

3 straps

4 support rollers

5 roller rail

6 top of the roller rail

7 roller rail bracket

8 point retainer

9 cover

10 substructure

11 keeper device

12 locking element

13 bracket of the keeper device

14 spring

15 shank of the spring

16 shank of the spring

17 axis of the locking element

18 contact surface on the locking element

19 contact surface on the locking element

20 locking lobe

21 center longitudinal axis of the roller rail

22 outer periphery of the roller rail

23 bore in the bracket

24 bore in the locking element

25 surface of the locking element

26 lead-in bevels

27 plug-in pin

28 dovetail joint

29 screw connection

A directional arrow

L directional arrow

B directional arrow

C directional arrow

x distance

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A sliding element suspended from and guided on topof a roller rail mounted on roller rail brackets which grip the rollerrail underneath, the roller rail brackets being fixed to a substructure,the sliding element comprising; a suspended element; a plurality ofsupport rollers or glide elements attached to the suspended element andguided on top of the roller rail in a direction of travel; and at leastone keeper device attached to the suspended element and locatedunderneath the roller rail, the keeper device comprising a lockingelement which is spring-loaded against the roller rail and retreats whenthe keeper device travels over a roller rail bracket.
 12. A slidingelement as in claim 11 wherein the keeper device comprises a keeperbracket, the locking element projecting from the keeper bracket towardthe roller rail to provide a locking action which prevents the supportrollers or glide elements from jumping off the rail, the locking elementbeing pushed into the keeper bracket to release the locking action whenthe keeper device travels over a roller rail bracket.
 13. A slidingelement as in claim 12 wherein the keeper bracket has a pocket in whichthe locking element is mounted to pivot about a pivot axis which isparallel to the direction of travel.
 14. A sliding element as in claim13 wherein the locking element has contact surfaces which limiting thepivoting of the locking element in a locking direction and in a releasedirection which is opposite to the locking direction.
 15. A slidingelement as in claim 14 wherein the roller rail has a centrallongitudinal axis, the locking element having a locking lobe whichengages the rail toward the substructure from the central longitudinalaxis.
 16. A sliding element as in claim 15 wherein the locking lobeengages the roller rail bracket to limit the pivoting of locking elementin the release direction when the keeper device travels over a bracket,with a small amount of play in the release direction remaining.
 17. Asliding element as in claim 12 wherein the keeper device and the lockingelement have coaxial bores.
 18. A sliding element as in claim 11 whereinthe keeper device has a surface facing the roller rail, the surfacehaving lead-in bevels facing the direction of travel, the lead-in bevelscausing the locking element to retreat, when the keeper device reaches aroller rail bracket.
 19. A sliding element as in claim 11 furthercomprising a strap fixed to the suspended element, the keeper devicebeing attached to the strap.
 20. A sliding element as in claim 19wherein a support roller is attached to the strap above the keeperdevice.